


River sees her Sister again

by JenniferNikolaenvaRomanova



Series: It's cold when you are gone [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Gallifrey, Sibling Love, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferNikolaenvaRomanova/pseuds/JenniferNikolaenvaRomanova
Summary: River and the Doctor return to Gallifrey long before its destruction as River is faced with the guilt of seeing her sister Queen Rivina knowing that this is the day she dies
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/River Song
Series: It's cold when you are gone [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089719





	1. Gallifrey 2021

The hallways of the Palace were decorated in the tapestries that told the story of the past rulers of the realm. River and the Doctor came in through the doors of the dungeons to come out to the foyer of the palace. The grand marble floor echoed with their footsteps before they paused on one staircase that lead up to next floor.

'So, where is The Master then?' River asked looking around as the door on the other side opened as they ducked to avoid being caught by whoever it was. River came out of her hiding place to see a group of Time Ladies walking down the other stairs as the Time Lady who was in front clearly was the leader as she was wearing a red ball gown with rubies decorating her gown and the blue sash and a golden crown on her long chestnut blonde hair

'If you can ensure that Princess Jennifer is ready to travel tonight back home to London.' The leader said to a woman closest to her.

'Yes your majesty.' The woman said as River looked at the group as Thirteen looked at her.

'I take it you know who that is.' Thirteen said looking at River as Yaz was there too after sneaking out of the TARDIS. 

'Its my sister Rivina.' River said with a hint of sadness in her voice. 'She dies tonight.'

'That's tonight?' The Doctor asked. 'Well I didn't know.'

'I didn't want to come back here to tonight.' River said looking at her before sitting down. 'This is all my fault.'

'Hey. Look at me.' The Doctor said. 'This is not your fault. No one could have predicted the invasion was to come.'

'I wasn't talking about the bloody invasion.' River snapped. 'I was on about what happened to Rivina. Knowing that tonight my sister dies whilst protecting our daughter isn't something I want to relive.' River said before storming off somewhere that wasn't in the direction of where the TARDIS was. Thirteen sighed before going on without her to find the Master. The hallways seemed to go on forever from what she remembered as she looked at the picture of her parents and brother and sister. The then Prince Randolph, Princess Cofelia and her the Princess Anastasia. Further down was the painting of Prince Randolph and the Princess Rivina at their wedding. Thirteen walked down the corridor to see Yaz walking behind her. 

'What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the TARDIS.' Thirteen said looking at her. 'You don't know who is about who could kill you.' 

'I thought I could help you.' Yaz said as they looked at a painting of Queen Rivina and her eight year old daughter the Princess Anjelica. 'Who is this?' 

'Queen Rivina, the current Queen of Gallifrey wife of my brother King Randolph.' Thirteen said. 'She is the true Queen of the kingdom since she is the one who can protect it when Randolph is away.'


	2. River and Rivina talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River gets to see her sister to try and warm her about the upcoming invasion and her unavoidable death.

River walked down the corridor that lead to the grand ballroom as she hid behind a pillar as she watched the group come in before Rivina dismissed them to go on with their duties as she stood in the ballroom for a few minutes before walking off by one of the pillars as River watched her go without realizing she was behind her.

'What are you doing?' Rivina asked as they both screamed as River looked at her as Rivina pointed at her with her finger. 'You're better off leaving the sneaking to your husband.'

'I wasn't doing anything of the sort.' River said as Rivina looked at her. 

'What the hell are you wearing?' She asked looking at her clothes with a look of disbelief.

'This is one of my favourite outfit.' River said as Rivina looked at her face as she turned her head to examine her face from both sides.

'What's wrong with your nose?' She asked as River held her hand in her own.

'A long story which I wouldn't like to go into.' River said. 'I need to speak to you. Where can we go that's quiet?' 

'We can go into the throne room. Randolph is with the High Council and won't be back until tonight.' Rivina said as River nodded but insisted she felt sick with nerves as they headed down familiar corridors passing the paintings done of the Royal Household. 'What is it River?' Rivina asked pausing to look at her. 'You've never been this quiet.' 

'It's nothing.' River said before wanting to change the subject. 'How is Randolph these days?' 

'Same old same old.' Rivina said as they continued to walk down the corridor as servants bowed to their Queen as they past. 'He is busy trying to control the High Council and keep an eye on Rassilon to ensure he doesn't try and take over the kingdom again.' Rivina said as she walked into the throne room which was decorated in a rich marble with high arched walls that touched the ceilings that were decorated with rows of ruby chandeliers. The marble steps in front lead to two grand looking thrones of the King and Queen the supreme rulers of Gallifrey. 

'But I thought he was the President of Gallifrey.' River said as Rivina looked at her. 

'He was but he started to believe he had all the power to command and pass laws without consulting Randolph or me.' Rivina said as she sat on her throne. 'The President is a high role but everyone knows that the King and Queen are the ones in charge.' River came to sit next to her on the step as she looked at her sister before looking out of the window. 'Now what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?'


	3. Rivina's advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River tries to convince Rivina to come with them to avoid her looming death but Rivina refuses and decides to stay on Gallifrey.

River was sat in the throne room on one of the thrones whilst Rivina was stood in front of her.

'I feel like I have let everyone down.' River said looking at the floor refusing to even look at her sister. 

'You are not a failure River.' Rivina said as she sat next to her before putting her arm around her. 'No one is perfect in being who they are meant to be. We all make mistakes River but that is what drives us to be better people.' 

'Everything is my fault. Jennifer's kidnapping was my fault your death was as well.' River said.

'No one could have stopped him from taking her.' Rivina said 'As for the other thing. That is my business.' Yaz came in at that point as she was trying to ditch the guards as she came up to them. 

'Hi.' She said to Rivina put her hand up. 'You must be Rivina.' She said before turning to River. 'Come on, the Doctor has found where the Master is and we need to go.' 

'Why don't you come with us?' River said to Rivina. 'We can be a family and bond. Do things that sisters do.' 

'No, River.' Rivina said looking at her. 'You go on but I need to stay here. I have a duty to my kingdom.' 

'Come on you two what is taking so long.' Thirteen said before noticing Rivina. 'Oh, sorry. River come on we are leaving this minute. Yaz grab her.' Yaz tried to grab River's hand but River pulled away. 

'No, I am not leaving!' River yelled. 

'You have to leave River. If you try and change events then the whole universe will collapse. Do you want that?' Thirteen asked. 'Come on don't be selfish.' 

'She's right River.' Rivina said gently. 'You have to go. Today was a blessing but for the sake of the universe you have to leave.' Thirteen dragged River who was kicking and screaming to get back to her sister. They reached the TARDIS as Thirteen got her inside before closing the door behind her. 

'You can't.' River said as she set the TARDIS in flight. 'Take it back now. Doctor do you hear me. Take this thing back.'

'I can't.' Thirteen said. 'Do you think if I could find a way to prevent it I would have done?' She asked. 'This is a fixed point in time. Everyone who dies in the siege dies.' 

'Couldn't you just have saved Rivina?' River asked. 'She's my sister, Jennifer's aunt.' Thirteen walked away from the desk before standing there looking at Yaz before going to sit in her room.


	4. So Many Lives Were destroyed That Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River watches the funeral of her sister and other Time Lords who died during the siege of the planet as now she knows that the life she knew was destroyed forever and it wasn't going to come back.

River sat in her room that night looking through her diary as she put it down before walking to the main room of the TARDIS as she went to open the doors to see the fires burning in Gallifrey. The attack was over but the mess was still there as evidence that there had been an invasion as Jennifer came to stand next to her as they looked out of the doors at the burning buildings of what once was home. 

'Come on.' Jennifer said as she stepped out of the TARDIS as River looked at her. 

'Are you sure this is a good idea Jennifer?' River asked as Jennifer nodded before taking off through the burnt streets with River running after her. 'Jennifer, Jennifer wait. Where are you going?' 

'To the Neva River.' Jennifer said. 'The funeral is going to take place soon of the people who died in the siege.' Jennifer said as they came to stand on the banks of the river as other Time Lords came to join them as the funeral began. Once the barge carrying the Queen's body had passed River walked away with Jennifer to the Palace of the Time Lords as the painting of all the Royal Family hung behind the two thrones in the room with the light from outside skimmed across it with the shadow of the smoke outside as River looked at the family as the painting was done when the children were younger as River and Jennifer walked out of the room as a ghostly voice rang out from the shadows. 'So many lives were destroyed that night. What had always been was now gone forever and my Rivina my beloved daughter. I never saw her again.'


End file.
